Automatic stock-feeder.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

7 F. V. GROSHIBR. AUTOMATIC STOCK FEEDER. APPLICATION FI-LED JUNE-16.19%.

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PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK V. CROSHIER, OF ARLINGTON, NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIGLSTOOK-FEEDER.

Application filed June 16,1906. Serial No. 322,006-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK V. CROsHIER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Arlington, in the county of Duchess and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Stock-Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to an improvement in feed measuring hoppers of feeders and is provided with means whereby the quantity of feed and the time of feeding may be predetermined, and the apparatus automatically operated at will. Also a number of the feeders may be run in a series and be operated by the same device, which may be in any convenient place in the stable, orat a distance therefrom.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereafter fully described, illustratedin the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawingsFigure 1. is a front view of the feeder and operating device in an open or discharged corresponding opening in the bottom of the feed supply bin, not shown. Its lower end is reduced in size at 4, to the diameter of the pipe 5, which conveys the feed to any desired place.

The slots 6, are provided, two in the corresponding sides of the hopper 1, near its top, and two in the same sides of the pipe 5, where it joins the lower end of the hopper 1. The slots are of the same width, the lower one being almost equal to the inside diameter of the pipe 5, while the edge of the top slide runs against the,

projection 7.

A measuring plate 8, is provided which is nearly the same width and length as the inside of the hopper l, and said plate is provided on one side with four notched lugs 9, which are inserted into the slots 10, in the front of the hopper 1, andas the notches are the same width as the thickness of the front of the hopper 1, they drop over the lower edges of the slots 10, and securely hold the plate 8, in a parallel position with the hopper front, either close to it or some distance away, thus regulating the capacity of the hopper, and regulating the quantity of feed that is to be used.

The cut-off slides 11, are each provided with an opening 27, arranged in such a manner that when the lower slide is pulled out thus closing the opening in the bot- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

tom of the hopper, the top slide is forced in thus opening the top of the hopper, and allowing the hopper to fill from the bin, while if the top slide is closed and the bottom one open the hopper will empty into the pipe 5. Said cut-out slides 11, are connected by the rockerarm 12, which is pivoted midway its ends to the flange 2, by the bolt 13, while its ends work freely in the small slots 14, in the ends of the slides 11. The lower slide 11, is provided at the end furthest from the opening, with a spring 15, secured to the wall, and designed to hold the slide in an open position, while the other end of said slide is connected by the wire 16, to the bar 17, which is mounted on the base 18, and freely slides in the bearings l9, and to one of said bearings is pivoted at one end the catch 20, provided with a tooth to engage the notch 21, in said bar 17, and hold it in a locked position until released by the action of the alarm clock 22, mounted on the bracket 23, and connected to the catch 20, by the string 24.

The bell-crank lever 25, is connected to the bolt 17, by the wire 26, for the purpose of setting the operating device as shown in Fig. 4.

If it is desired to operate the hopper from the oppo- I site direction from that which is shown in the drawings, the slides may be reversed and the rocker arm mounted on the opposite flange. Or if more than one hopper is to be operated in a series, the wire 16, from the first one is connected to the lower slide of .the second in place of its spring 15, and so on for as many as desired, while the spring of the first and the locking device of the last in the series will be all that is required to operate all of them.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The alarm clock is set to 'go off at the desiredtime for feeding, and the bolt 17, is pulled back by the lever 25, and locked by dropping the catch 20, into the 'slot 21. This in turn closes the lower slide and opens the top slide in the hopper, allowing the said hopper to fill. When the clock goes off the catch is raised by the string 24 releasing the bolt 20 and allowing the spring 15, to pull the lower slide open, and the top slide shut, cutting off the feed from the bin and allowing the feed contained in the hopper to escape through the pipe 5, to the desired I receptacle. To adjust the measuring plate 8, the lugs 9, are raised until the notches on their lower edges clear the edges of the slots 10, when they may be pulled out to increase the capacity of the hopper, or pushed in to decrease the capacity, and the lugs 9 then lowered until the notches engage the slots again.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a receptacle having inlet and outlet apertures, valves operating to alternately open and close said apertures, means for alternately oper ating said valves, a spring operating to maintain one of said valves yieldably closed and the other valve open, a trip bar mounted for longitudinal movement, a connecting device between said bar and the valve to which the spring is attached, a catch operating to hold said trip bar and the valve connected therewith in retracted position, and means for releasing said catch to permit the spring to reverse the position of said valves.

2. In a device of the class described, a receptacle having inlet and outlet apertures, valves operating to open and close said apertures, means for alternately operating said valves, and a plate disposed in said receptacle and having notched lugs extending through one of the walls ot' the same and adapted to engage the receptacle by said notches and thereby controlling the area of the receptacle.

3. In a device 01 the class described, a receptacle having inlet and outlet apertures, valves operating to open and close said apertures, means for alternately operating said valves, a plate disposed within said receptacle and having notched lugs extending through one of the walls of the same and adapted to engage the receptacle by said notches, a trip bar mounted for longitudinal movement. a spring connected to said bar, connecting means between said bar and valve operating means. a catch operating to hold \id trip bar in retracted position, and means for releasing .litl catch.

in te 'imonv whereof I have s gned my name to this specification in the presence otf two subscribing witnesses.

Flil'll). Y. onosnlnn.

Witnesses LUMAX I .loxns,

.TonN Mininn. 

